


Transmutation Studies

by Starrie_Wolf



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crossover, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Hogwarts Seventh Year AU, POV Outsider, Post-FMA ending, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrie_Wolf/pseuds/Starrie_Wolf
Summary: “This year, Hogwarts is pleased to welcome two new members of the staff from Amestris, Professor Roy Mustang and his assistant, Mr Edward Elric. They come highly recommended from Professor Nicholas Flamel, and will be taking up the long-vacant teaching post for alchemy.”
Relationships: Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Nicholas Flamel & Van Hohenheim
Comments: 34
Kudos: 623
Collections: Clever Crossovers & Fantastic Fusions, Crossworks 2020





	Transmutation Studies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chaos_Greymistchild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaos_Greymistchild/gifts).



She had been in this office so many times she’d lost count, but this time felt different.

Minerva McGonagall gazed blankly out of the window, taking in the view from a direction she wasn’t accustomed to. It wasn’t like she had never expected to one day be sitting behind the Headmaster’s desk, but rather… not like this.

The little silver instruments had been replaced by her own knick-knacks, and there was now even a tartan tin of biscuits on the table, but she still couldn’t reconcile herself to the fact that the office now belonged to her, nor the fact that she could see the edge of a white marble coffin from where she was sitting.

Her gaze fell on the two employment forms taking up the centre of the table, held down by a little tray of sherbet lemons she hadn’t had the heart to discard.

Hogwarts hadn’t offered Alchemy for decades, not since the Flamels stopped appearing in public. Minerva wouldn’t have changed that in her first year of office if it wasn’t due to some highly special circumstances.

> _Name: Roy Mustang_
> 
> _Age: 32_
> 
> _Position: Professor of Alchemy_
> 
> _Previous position: State Alchemist of Amestris_

Minerva knew as much about Magical Germany as she did of Uagadou – which was to say, she was aware of its existence. Most of Magical Germany was part of the International Federation of Unplottable Land, a world that was said to be drastically different from theirs, and seldom did anyone venture through the barrier.

The new alchemy professor and his assistant were two such individuals, and it was only because Nicholas Flamel called in a favour after Professor Dumbledore’s demise.

Minerva shuddered faintly. She hadn’t even heard of a Horcrux before, much less be equipped to handle one. If it wasn’t for Nicholas Flamel, she would have closed Hogwarts for the year.

Still, even if they were specialists in soul alchemy, was two people enough to keep Hogwarts safe?

“If they’re from Amestris, two is more than enough.”

Minerva almost jumped at the sudden interruption. When she turned around, Phineas Nigellus was staring down his nose at her from his portrait.

“What do you mean?”

For a moment she wasn’t sure Phineas will deign to reply to a _Gryffindor_ , but with another huff he actually added, “they’re State Alchemists.” Before Minerva could ask him what that meant, he rolled his eyes. “It means they specialise in combat.”

Minerva blinked. “So, like Hit Wizards?”

“Hardly,” Phineas scoffed. “What kind of priceless favour did Flamel cash in to get _two_ weapons of mass destruction?”

* * *

There were two new faces at the Staff Table. They seemed to know each other, Harry noted, and they were also not Hogwarts graduates, given the visible surprise one of them displayed when the Sorting Hat began to sing.

Professor McGonagall stood up again at the end of the Sorting.

“This year,” she announced without any further aplomb, “Hogwarts is pleased to welcome two new members of the staff from Amestris, Professor Roy Mustang and his assistant, Mr Edward Elric. They come highly recommended from Professor Nicholas Flamel, and will be taking up the long-vacant teaching post for alchemy.”

“ _Alchemy_?” Hermione’s hiss was drowned out by the shocked murmurs and harried whispers going on at all four House Tables. She fumbled for her bag. “Our letters never suggested –”

Ron’s focus was on something else. “They’re from Amestris? No wonder McGonagall is willing to reopen Alchemy classes.” He blinked when both Harry and Hermione gave him identical blank looks. “You know, Amestris? Where all the best alchemists come from?”

“As this class has not been offered for a long time, there will be a trial period of two weeks open to all interested Sixth- and Seventh-Year students. The details are already on the noticeboards in your respective Common Rooms.”

Hermione almost fell out of her chair in excitement.

* * *

By the time Hermione arrived in the Room of Requirements after her first Alchemy class, Ron was staring at the clock conveniently hung upon the wall, clearly thinking about the fact that dinner was only half an hour away.

“Well, the good news is,” Hermione said as she slumped down on the newly appeared couch, “they’re not likely to be spies sent by Voldemort.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Ron muttered darkly, wrenching his eyes away from the clock. “ _Grindelwald_ was from Magical Germany.”

Hermione was too prim to roll her eyes at him, although Harry could tell she wanted to. “Amestris seceded from the non-Unplottable section of Magical Germany four hundred years ago,” she argued impatiently. “Other than the Flamels, nobody from this side of the barrier had had any contact with an Amestrian for centuries. And the alchemist whom Professor Flamel had met was an ancestor of theirs.”

“So they don’t have any motivation to support Voldemort,” Harry summarised.

Hermione nodded. “I stayed back after class to chat with the assistant just to make sure – bloodline purity isn’t even a thing. Alchemy is a rare talent, and they don’t have any other form of magic over there.”

“What, they’re all Squibs?” Ron asked, stunned.

Hermione shot him a severe look. “I… suppose. But their technology is far more advanced than Magical Britain, probably to compensate.” Her eyes began shining. “Is it a case of convergence, or were those technologies brought in from the Muggle World?”

Ron went back to staring at the clock as Hermione continued on her tangent.

* * *

“So.”

Ed flipped himself over the couch in their assigned quarters, flopping down with a contented sigh. “Backwards as they are –”

“Traditional,” Roy corrected, squinting into the mirror as he tried to figure out how to get out of his robes without messing up his hair.

“– I can’t deny the food is amazing,” Ed continued like he couldn’t hear the interjection, rubbing his belly in satisfaction.

“Well,” Roy began in all apparent seriousness, “at least you can’t say that they’re short-changing –” he ducked as a slipper flew past his head in retaliation for the pun “– us for the job.”

Ed eyed him like he was debating whether it was worth the effort to get up to find something else to throw.

“I’m surprised you didn’t pull up part of the floor.”

“Can’t,” Ed rebutted instantly. “This castle is kind of… sapient? I noticed when I tried to set up some defence arrays within the castle itself; it almost felt like I was doing human transmutation. _Sapient_ transmutation.” He made a face. “Don’t tell Al, but now I’m kind of glad my damned dad owed that British alchemist a stupid favour. Amestris would never have been able to provide this research opportunity on non-human sentience – I can probably even get a few papers out of this.”

“Maybe you can even claim travel reimbursement for this trip.”

Ed laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Discord](https://discord.gg/8yJVmbD) | [Tumblr](http://starriewolf.tumblr.com)


End file.
